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President - Shawna Valentine 3420 Granger S #20, Billings, MT 59102 Phone: 698-4153 Email: [email protected] Elected Sept. 2008 (5th term ends 2018)
1st Vice President: Verba Valentine 3462 Barley Circle, Billings, MT 59102 Phone: 696-6345 Email: [email protected] Elected Sept. 2008 (5th term ends 2018)
2nd Vice President - Shirley Rogers PO Box 24, Boulder, MT 59632 Phone: 461-5761 Email: [email protected] Elected Sept. 2008 (5th term ends 2019)
Secretary: Carol Elliott PO Box 645, Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730 Phone: 763-4039 Email: [email protected] Elected Sept. 2015 (2nd term ends 2019)
Treasurer: Terry Atwood 4230 Wolverine, Helena, MT 59602 Phone: 443-4907 Email: [email protected] Elected Sept. 2013 (3rd term ends 2018)
Registrar: Mary Pitch 700 Grant, Helena, MT 59601 Phone: 443-3452 Email: [email protected] Elected: Sept. 2005 (7th term ends 2019)
Past President: Betty Marshall Box 710, Chester, MT 59522 Phone: 759-5627 Email: [email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Fran Jensen Email: [email protected]
President’s Message About a month ago, Verba and I traveled to
Great Falls to finalize plans for this fall’s conference, which included a meeting with several members of the Great Falls Genealogy Society. We met in the society’s area on the third floor of the city’s public library. From the Roundup and the society reports given at the lunches during conferences, I knew the Great Falls Genealogy Society Library would be impressive, and it proved to be the highlight of the trip.
First of all, the space is massive. It covers most of the entire floor. Then there are the collections. An entire wall is devoted to county history books from across the state. Countless other books and other types of research possibilities flow from row upon row of shelves. Original county ledgers are even here. Several computers offer databases, including local obituaries. And once you locate a source you want to research further, comfortable chairs and roomy workspace await!
As you venture to Great Falls this September, I encourage you to allow time to experience this treasure for yourself. It is definitely a place one needs to see to truly appreciate. They will provide a free shuttle from the Heritage Inn to the Library for their open house from 2 – 4 pm on Thursday, September 20th, but with so many opportunities to research – maybe plan on arriving a day (or two) early.
Shawna Valentine, President
Big Sky Roundup
http://montanamsgs.org
2018-2019 Officers July 2018
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Summary of the 14 July 2018 MSGS Executive Board Meeting
The meeting was called to order by President Shawna Valentine. Other members present included Verba Valentine, Shirley Rogers, Carol Elliott, Terry Atwood, Mary Pitch, Karen Huck and Al Stoner. The minutes of the 17 March
2018 board meeting were approved. Treasurer Terry Atwood reported the checking account balance as $124.28 and the savings account balance as $24,739.99. First Vice President Verba Valentine reviewed the 2018 Montana State Genealogical Conference brochure which was approved by the board. Conference brochures will be mailed to MSGS members the week of July 20. The deadline for room reservations at the Heritage Inn, Great Falls, is August 29. Meals can only be guaranteed for conference registrations received by September 7. Two free workshops will be held Thursday afternoon at 5:00 pm. Workshop topics will be the First Families and Early Settlers Program and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Questions and Answers. Shirley Rogers, 2nd Vice President, plans to have four raffle items for the 2018 Conference. The 2018 Great Falls conference pins have been received. She is beginning plans for the Book Frolic which will be located in a separate room at the conference to allow more space in the conference room for attendees. As the MSGS representative to the 2018 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Aug 22-25, 2018, Shirley is finalizing plans for a Montana State table display which will include information on the First Families and Early Settlers Program, the 2018 MSGS Conference and local member societies. Mary Pitch, Registrar, reported MSGS has 14 active societies and 673 members. Karen Huck, Librarian, notified the board that the Lewis and Clark Library has begun renovation planning which will affect the space within the library that holds the Montana State Genealogical Library collection. She will be meeting with the library staff throughout this process on proposed relocation of the MSGS collection within existing Lewis and Clark Library spaces. Al Stoner discussed the current inventory of First Family and Early Settlers volumes and the transition of publication sales to another MSGS member. Elections for MSGS President, 1st Vice President and Treasurer will be held during the MSGS Annual Meeting on Saturday, Sept 22, 2018. Current President Shawna Valentine, 1st Vice President Verba Valentine and Treasurer Terry Atwood have agree to run for reelection. As the Bylaws Committee Chair, Carol Elliott formally submitted the MSGS Bylaws Committee Report to the board. She led a discussion and final review of the proposed revised Bylaws. The board made a few minor changes and then approved the report and the proposed revised Bylaws for submission to the membership for adoption at the Annual Meeting. The next board meeting will be Thursday, Sept 20, at 3:30 pm in Great Falls at the Heritage Inn. The October board meeting was set for Saturday, Oct 6, at 10:00 am in Helena. Respectfully submitted, Carol Elliott, Secretary
Helpful Tip: The Genealogy on Facebook List was started with a few hundred links by Katherine R. Willson, professional genealogist, speaker and educator from Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan. Today, that list has grown to be a 329 page PDF file with 12,300+ links to “English-speaking Facebook groups and pages related to genealogy and history.” The list is free and can be downloaded from her blog at https://socialmediagenealogy.com/genealogy-on-facebook-list/; also see her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SocialMediaGenealogy.org Katherine also provides links to lists for: •Facebook for Canadian Genealogy by Gail Dever •Facebook for Australian History & Genealogy by Alona Tester
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Revision of MSGS Bylaws Update At the July 2018 MSGS Executive Board meeting, the board approved the Bylaws Committee Report which included all proposed changes to the existing MSGS Bylaws and the rationale for the changes. The board recommended that the revised Bylaws be submitted to the MSGS members for adoption at the 2018 MSGS Annual Meeting in Great Falls on September 22, 2018. Why are we revising the Bylaws? In March 2017, the Executive Board decided to update the MSGS Bylaws due to expanded board responsibilities, changes in Society operations, and guidance in Robert’s Rules of Order for society bylaws. Needed changes were identified in 15 of the 16 Articles of the existing MSGS Bylaws. What is the difference between amending the Bylaws and revising the Bylaws? Usually, bylaws are changed by amendment. Each change is discussed and voted on by the members. The existing bylaws are then updated with the adopted amendments. When the changes are so extensive and appear throughout the bylaws, an entirely new set of bylaws is proposed, called a revision. If adopted, the revised bylaws will replace the existing bylaws. If the revised bylaws are not adopted, the existing bylaws will remain in effect with no changes. What are the significant changes to the existing Bylaws? - Replaced Objectives in Article II with a single statement of the purpose of the Montana State Genealogical Society. - Expanded the responsibilities of the Executive Board to handle Society business between Annual Meetings. - Updated the duties of five of the MSGS officer positions. - Deleted Standing Committees. - Established a new Article on Nondiscrimination. What are the procedures for adopting the revised Bylaws? The same procedure for amending the Bylaws described in Article XV, Amendments, is used for revising the Bylaws. - The revised Bylaws may be adopted at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds vote of members present at the meeting. - The revised Bylaws and the recommendations of the board will be submitted to the membership in writing at least one month before the Annual Meeting. Voting Procedure: The voting procedure to revise the Bylaws is different than voting to amend the Bylaws. Instead of voting separately on each proposed change as an amendment, each Article in the revised Bylaws will be reviewed and open to amendment. The review will be followed by a single vote to adopt the entire revised Bylaws document.
Carol Elliott, Bylaws Committee Chair
Beaver Head Hunters – Dillon The Head Hunters have had the summer off. However we did have one fun outing. It was a picnic held at Barretts Park south of Dillon. There is a large pavilion to protect picnickers from inclement weather. But in order to get to the picnic area you must cross a draw bridge, watching the raging water of the Beaverhead River not far from your feet. That is an interesting experience! The magnificent cliffs add to the beauty as the Beaverhead River flows at the base of the cliffs. We combined the Sons of Norway and the Sons of the American Revolution with the Beaver Head Hunters, and had a picnic with lots of food. After eating we were treated to reminiscence and family history lore from Bill Tash. He went back several generations with tales of his family, and brought it right up to the present. William S. Tash bought a ranch in 1927 and it has remained in the family for almost 80 years, serving 4 generations of Tash descendants over that time. They homesteaded together on upper Grasshopper Creek and engaged in the livestock and meat business. In addition to our summer outing we have been helping visitors who come into the museum looking for information about their ancestors. It’s always fun to find the information that they were looking for. It adds to their family history. We are also taking pictures of tombstones at the local cemetery for Find a Grave. People always appreciate seeing what the tombstone looked like, and seeing a biographical sketch of their loved one. Every new piece of information helps.
Submitted by Pat Darling, BHH Liaison
What’s Happening on the Local Level…
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Butte-Silver Bow Genealogical Society After a December Christmas Dinner, the Butte-Silver Bow Genealogy Society took January off to celebrate the New Year. Two programs were presented at the February meeting. Elyse Lewis shared pictures and stories of her genealogical trip to Croatia. This was of great interest, as many Butte residents have Croatian ancestors. The country is beautiful, and went to the top of everyone’s list for future dream vacations. Linda Lee Holmes shared information on researching and writing a biography of her great-great grandfather, pioneer Butte assayer Max E. Mayer. The article was published in the January 2018 issue of Western States Jewish History, and she shared copies of the manuscript and photographs. In March we discussed future direction and recruitment and retention efforts. Members are currently completing a survey re: their suggestions and preferences. Plans for upcoming meetings are programs on Irish clans, heraldry, and lineage societies At the April meeting, Irish origins and heraldry were discussed. Decisions were made to revamp the Facebook page and begin radio announcements in an effort to increase membership. These efforts had a positive response, and five new members attended the May meeting to hear JoAnn Piazzola’s presentation on lineage societies. The June meeting was devoted to working on brick walls. Everyone learned new techniques during this sharing of ideas, and left newly energized. On June 9, Linda Lee and JoAnn traveled to Virginia City to provide genealogy lookups for participants at a gathering of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Plans are to discuss information obtainable from birth, death, and marriage records at the July meeting.
Submitted by Linda Lee Holmes, Butte Liaison Gallatin County Genealogical Society – Bozeman The Gallatin County Genealogical Society finished its 2017-2018 program year with a record 66 members and 250,000 total records indexed and posted on a new GCGS website. Springtime events included launching a new GCGS website, deciphering old handwriting styles, celebrating our sixth anniversary and electing officers for 2018-2019. In March, GCGS decided to transition the society’s website off RootsWeb to a new host site, Weebly. The society’s website on RootsWeb had been off-line since January as RootsWeb continued to deal with security issues. The new GCGS website went on-line in April with a new address: www.mtgcgs.org. As part of the new website redesign, GCGS merged the Obituaries Index Database into the Vital Records Index Database resulting in a total of six index databases on-line. Steve Swinford and Cheryl Genovese presented an excellent program on “Reading Old Handwriting Styles” at the April meeting. The program covered the four main scripts used in English documents between 1500 and 1800 as well as practical tips on reading old documents. The society celebrated its sixth anniversary in May with a combination of cake, stories of members’ successful genealogy research over the past year, and elections. Searching family memorabilia for genealogy clues helped several members develop family timelines resulting in some brick wall breakthroughs. The following current officers were all reelected for the 2018-2019 membership year: Steve Swinford, President; Karen Maika, Vice President; Linda Gengenbacher, Secretary; Norma Ardesson, Treasurer; Tricia Thompson, Project Manager; Jenn Vieth, Webmaster; and Carol Elliott, State Liaison.
Submitted by Carol Elliott, GCGS Liaison Great Falls Genealogy Society – Great Falls The Great Falls Genealogy Society does not hold meetings during the summer, so there is nothing for us to report to you in that regard. We have been seeing our usual influx of “genealogy tourists” as people visit Great Falls to do family history research. GFGS is again making once a month appearances at the Great Falls Farmer’s Market to increase our community’s awareness of our society and library. In June the GFGS Library received a huge gift from the estate of Dr. Ruthann Knudson. Dr. Knudson was a highly respected anthropologist specializing in Native American studies. A couple from our Society helped the family clear out Dr. Knudson’s residence and were given just over 100 books, largely Native American related, for our Library. As a result we have an extensive Native American collection with more to be added as we go through several binders of Dr. Knudson’s research notes, looking for additional material. Our main project continues to be the mortuary records of W.H. George Company and Chapel of Chimes funeral home. Working with the actual records of these companies, over 2,300 names and considerable additional information have been found. An updated index will be made available once the work is completed. Just last week we received another project to evaluate. A local book seller found among books bought at an estate auction, an unpublished local history manuscript for a Montana community. It would require getting the entire manuscript on computer, so we’ll see.
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All of our emphasis in the next few weeks will be given to preparing for your arrival at the 2018 Montana State Genealogical Conference here in Great Falls. We want your time in the Electric City to be memorable as you “Follow the Trail to Your Past.” We invite you as well to come early and make use of the GFGS Library while you are here.
Submitted by Larry D. Spicer, GFGS President Lewis & Clark County Genealogical Society – Helena The Lewis & Clark County Genealogical Society meets once a month at the Covenant United Methodist Church, 2330 E. Broadway at 7pm, on the 2nd Wednesday, September through May. We also meet June, July and August at different locations in the Helena area. Our meetings from this past April through July have included a talk by Charlene Porsild, President and CEO of the Montana History Foundation on “Preservation Technology in Historic Cemeteries”, Mike Stevenson from Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home talking about funeral home records, a workshop on Land Records by Jan Thomson and Linda Long from the Great Falls society and a slide presentation by member Audrey Hinman about her trip to India for a Hindu wedding. We are looking forward to our annual summer potluck picnic in August.
Submitted by Mary Pitch, LCCGS President Powell County Genealogical Society - Deer Lodge We have changed our monthly meeting time to the 2nd Tuesday at 1:00p.m. at Kohrs Memorial Library. There were no meetings in January and April due to bad roads and weather. All of our “snowbirds” returned by April and we met for a work party finishing up our indexing projects. We passed out flash drives containing our Hillcrest Cemetery name index for members to check, edit, etc. Corrections were made and we hope to see it on the city site soon. In the meantime, if anyone needs lookups, we would be happy to do that for you – [email protected] A donation to PCGS was given by Ruth Little, a member of the Academy of Living History, consisting of six years of pioneer biographies used in their annual cemetery walk at Hillcrest Cemetery. Each year featured different pioneers of interest. The Academy no longer exists and we were the lucky recipient of her excellent research. Ruth is a native of the Big Hole Valley and is currently working on a history of that valley. We had many interesting programs at the end of our meetings which included Use of DNA Quick Sheets, Fiske Wagon Trains to Montana, Tour of available resources in Montana Room at Kohrs Library, Help with Brick Wall problems, and always many DNA Q&A’s! Our little group continues to meet, work, and enjoy each other’s company and we’re looking forward to seeing you all at the convention!
Submitted by Megan Thompson, President PCGS
Yellowstone Genealogy Forum – Billings Programs: Sydney Gabel is our local expert on the Oregon Tail. Why? Her ancestors traveled it from Independence, Missouri to Oregon. She gave a very in-depth talk on why people traveled the trail, what it cost to prepare, what supplies they needed, and constitution and by-laws that governed the travelers. Syd’s family left all kinds of personal records that she uses. A program on scanners was a huge draw. Scanners range from large flatbeds to handheld “Flip-pals” or “Magic Wand.” Laura Haefer uses a flatbed scanner for photos. She said quality is lost if photos are saved in JPG. She recommended TIF although it uses more memory. Kay Cahill uses Flip-pal and stitches documents together. P. J. Smith uses a Vupoint Solutions Magic Wand. Results vary depending on what is being scanned. The scanner is moved across the item being scanned. Adoptees or their descendants seem to run into “brick walls”. Diana Toldstedt of Lutheran Social Services gave an overview of state adoption laws. Railroad companies provide more records than just employment information, such as accident reports. The Forum viewed a webinar on “Railroad Records, Indexes, & Finding Aids on the Internet”. Kay Cahill presented a mini-workshop on DNA. Annual Meeting: Once a year we thank all the volunteers who help with the club. We celebrate with cake or dessert. Election of Officers: P.J. Smith, Bobbie Meyers, Laura Haefer, Kay Cahill. Robin Sparboe joined the board as recording secretary. Outreach: Boy Scouts can earn a Genealogy Badge. The Forum provided “counselors” for the Boy Scout Merit Badge University held at MSUB. A troop of scouts was helped at the public library. P.J. Smith gave a brief introduction to genealogy research at a P.E.O. meeting. The public library held three sessions as an introduction to genealogy. The Forum presented on Census Records.
Submitted by P. J. Smith, YGF President
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MSGS Newsletter and Facebook Page The MSGS Facebook page is growing every day. As of 8 August 2018, there are 360 people following the page. Take a moment to visit the page and click on “Like”. Every Like increases the visibility of the page and helps bring new members to our society! Some of the recent posts included: “Create your own Archivist in a Backpack Kit,” shared from The Genealogy Gems Podcast Facebook page; Posts shared from the Montana Memory Project Facebook page; Posts from the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives Facebook page; and posts shared from the Montana History Foundation Facebook page, plus many more! The newsletter this quarter overflowed with content! This is great news because our society is
growing strong! As a result of the extra content for this publication, the font size was reduced to make room for lots of news! The next issue will be in October and we hope to have updates for every member society.
Submitted by Fran Jensen, Newsletter Editor and Facebook Page Admin
Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering August 18 & 19, 2018 At the Daly Mansion, in Hamilton, MT
Celtic Heritage in Montana
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Grandma JennySubmitted by Pat Darling
When Alex Ayott lost his wife and oldest child he didn’t know what to do with his life. He loved living in Vermont, but when he heard of an interesting job in Dakota territory he decided to look into it. While he was making provisions for his two younger children his wife’s cousin, Jenny Brown from Park Ridge, Illinois, showed up. She had heard of her cousin’s death and wanted to express her condolences. She spent many days visiting with Alex, and in the end they decided they would get married. Alex would leave for Buford, and they would get married in a year.
Fort Buford, which was a US Army Post on the line between Dakota Territory and Montana, was built in 1866. Alex was hired as the black smith. He found that the soldiers were restless, and it didn’t take much for them to get rowdy. The fort provided entertainment for them, but sometimes that wasn’t enough. Dances were held on a regular basis, and this seemed to help. But it seemed all the men wanted to dance with the lovely Rosa, the young daughter of a man who worked there. Rosa enjoyed this, and was hoping she could “trap” one of the men, because she was tired of being single (even though she was only 16.) There were three men she had her eye on. All she had to do was make a decision. Since Alex was more mature than the soldiers, and had more money, she wanted to choose him. There was a lot of jealousy between the other two, and it ended in one being murdered. In the end Alex ended up marrying Rosa. Apparently he had forgotten about his agreement with Jenny Brown!
When Jenny appeared at Fort Buford the following year to make plans for the wedding, she knocked on the door of Alex’s cabin and a young girl holding a baby came to the door. Jenny was shocked, especially when she learned that it was indeed Alex’s wife and baby. Needless to say she was furious. She told him to get rid of the woman and child if he wanted to marry her, and she left in a big huff. She was more generous than most women would have been. (But maybe it was because she dreaded being an old maid!)
On the agreed upon date Alex appeared in Park Ridge and he and Jenny got married. His two children from Vermont were present, and they now had a family of four. They returned to Buford after the wedding and lived in a hotel nearby. Alex was busy building a home on the Montana side of the line. It was a large house that would serve as stage stop, post office, and boarding house, as well as their home. But they needed to give the place a name. Jenny looked at the high ridge behind the house, and the beautiful lawn they had created, and decided to call it Ridgelawn. This was the founding of a new Montana town. It can still be found on some Montana maps.
The next year Jenny had a baby girl and named her Ellen. Three years later she had another baby girl and named her Ethel. They had a delightful life in Ridgelawn, Montana. At least until the winter of 1886. The snow started in November. Then it turned to blizzards, which continued all winter. Ranchers could not get out to feed the cattle, and all the cattle died. Most of the ranchers gave up and moved away. Alex was one that left. He moved to Fort Peck Indian Reservation, where he became the Indian Agent. He was there about a year when he started to have health problems. There was no place to get medical treatment, so he had to go back to Park Ridge. Even there the doctors could not cure him, and he died in 1892.
Jenny was now around all her family in Park Ridge, so she had support. Three years later she married again, and they had a happy life. Just like in Montana, Jenny opened a boarding house!
Jenny was my great grandma, and I loved her dearly, even though I was only three when she died. She was a special person.
The History Corral The Roundup accepts submissions of historical and genealogical interest that have a Montana connection. Examples include, but are not limited to, brief family or town histories, Church or Court Records, Cemetery transcriptions, Newspaper abstracts, Bible Records, Letters, descriptions of holdings and hours of Research Facilities within the state, and instate attractions of historical interest. Photos may also be accepted if some type of written description of the photo’s content accompanies them. All submitted materials must include a cover letter from the submitter giving Montana State Genealogical Society permission to publish. Questions, proposed articles and photos may be sent electronically to Fran Jensen. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted material, as well as the right to edit copy.
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PAMELA BOYER SAYRE, CG, FUGA, is a professional researcher, educator, author, and lecturer. She developed, coordinated, and taught the Methods and Resources course at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research from 2007-2017 and she continues to co-ordinate and teach in several courses at Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. Pam is former NGS director of education and publications, a former board member of NGS and FGS, and a former editor of APGQ. She is a popular seminar presenter who has spoken at genealogy conferences and seminars nationwide and on international cruises.
RICK SAYRE, CG, CGL, FUGA, is a long time genealogical researcher and instructor currently serving as president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. He coordinated and taught in advanced methodology, land, military, and beginning courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research from 2003-2017. Rick co-ordinates advanced land courses with Pam Sayre and legal courses with Judy Russell at Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). He also lectures at national conferences and presents nationwide seminars.
Her topics are: 1. OUR NATIONAL TREASURE: THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 2. WEST FROM MISSOURI 3. NARA WEBSITE AND MORE 4. THE LOWDOWN ON DOWNLOADING
His topics are: 1. MAPPING THE WEST 2. THE AMERICAN WEST – Publications of the National Archives 3. DID HE SERVE? RESEARCHING MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS 4. COOL TOOLS FOR THE CEMETERY
Deadlines to Remember: Conference Hotel: Heritage Inn
1700 Fox Farm Road, Great Falls MontanaThe room rate for a King or Double Queen Room is $94.00.
For Reservations, call 406 761 1900 and mention MT State Genealogical Society before August 29, 2018. August 28: Early Bird Deadline. Be sure your registration form has been mailed for the possibility of receiving up to $60 of your Registration refunded.September 7: Conference Registrations must be received by our Registrar in order to guarantee meals and handouts at the Conference. September 20th - Thursday Activities: 2 – 4 pm Open House at the Great Falls Genealogy Society Library, located on the 3rd Floor of the Great Falls Public Library, 301 2nd Ave North. A free shuttle will be available between the Heritage Inn and the Library starting at 1:40 and every 20 minutes after that until 4 pm. If you prefer to drive, a map is linked on the conference page of the MSGS website.5 pm Two Free Workshops will also be offered on Thursday starting at 5 pm. These are not classes, but rather a time to informally gather and ask questions.• DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Questions & Answers• First Families/Early Settlers of Montana –Bring your paperwork and questions.
6:30 pm If you indicated you would attend; there will be a reception in the Convention Area of the Heritage Inn and Light appetizers will be served.
MONTANA STATE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY 29th ANNUAL STATE GENEALOGY CONFERENCE
Great Falls Genealogy Society, Co-Host Heritage Inn, Great Falls, Montana
September 20, 21, 22, 2018
Complete Conference Schedule, Topic Descriptions and Registration Form may be downloaded from our
website at http://montanamsgs.org/conferences.html!
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Annual Book Frolic As always, we will hold our Book Frolic at this year’s conference. This is a silent auction and bidding will start Friday morning and end at 1:30 pm on Saturday. This is an excellent opportunity to pass on items you no longer need and to acquire great new ones! So, before you come, check your bookcases for items of genealogical or historical interest such as County & Other Country Histories, Books relating to Genealogy or Compilations of Genealogical Data, and Historical Atlases. Please – no quarterlies or outdated material. Then, bring the items with you on Thursday. They will be ready to view first thing on Friday morning.
Please note we will NOT be having Door Prizes this year! Local Society Reports at Conference Lunches
Meals at conferences are a great way to meet and visit with new people and to learn what is happening around the state. Each meal provides time to visit among your table mates and both lunches are utilized as a time to share what your local society has been up to for the past year. Time is given to a representative from each local society present at lunch on either Friday or Saturday to give a brief summary of their accomplishments and activities for the year. Reports shouldn’t be elaborate or lengthy, but give some thought as to who will speak for your society and what your year’s highlights have been or what you are looking forward to next year!
MSGS Annual Meeting Everyone is encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting of the Montana State Genealogical Society that will be held in the Lewis & Clark Room at the Heritage Inn on Saturday morning, September 22, 2018 at 7:15 a.m. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the organization and for the organization to learn from you. The MSGS Revised Bylaws will be presented. Election for the offices of President, 1st Vice President, and Treasurer will also be held. Current office holders have agreed to run for re-election, but if you would like to run for any of these offices, please let Shawna know at [email protected].
A Time to Remember Recently Deceased Members Every year at the Friday Banquet during the Conference, we honor our members who have died since the last conference during the Memorial Service. Thanks to the talents of Judy Cohen, this is a respectful presentation that combines a power point program with photos of the deceased. To be sure your recently deceased members are included in this year’s presentation; please send notification of any members who have died since last September to Judy Cohen. An obituary and photo are appreciated.
To be sure she has time to compile the Power Point presentation; all names for the 2018 program must to be sent to Judy by
Saturday, September 8th at [email protected]
Calling for Award Nominations The Anna Mae Hanson Award is given by MSGS at the state conference to a genealogist who is an outstanding person, works beyond what is expected of them and is very dedicated to the field of genealogy. MSGS will also accept nominations for the Al Huntsman Award is presented to businesses or individuals who are not affiliated with a member genealogical society, but have been instrumental in helping promote genealogy. Nominations for either award will be accepted from any MSGS member and should be submitted in a written letter that briefly describes the nominee’s contributions to the local society and to MSGS if applicable. They should include why the person (or business) stands out and is worthy of this special recognition. Both awards will be given at the banquet on Friday evening of our annual conference, pending the decisions of the Awards Committee.
By Saturday, September 1st, send letters to our Awards Committee Chairman, Shirley Rogers, PO Box 24, Boulder MT 59632 or email to her at [email protected]
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! HERITAGE INN in GREAT FALLS, MONTANA
September 20, 21, 22, 2018
Terry Atwood PO Box 5313 Helena MT 59602
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